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This weekend I was in Ohio for a couple of days and was reminded of the greatest branding/marketing genius that I’ve ever been aware of - Tim Horton’s. I first learned about Timmy’s (as the locals refer to it) this summer in Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Day after day we watched hundreds, maybe thousands, of people stand in line or sit in a drivethru for over 30 minutes to get a morning cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich or donuts. Here’s the thing: the coffee isn’t that good! I mean, it’s good, but it ain’t that good.

But, in a yuppie Starbucks-dominated world, Tim is kicking tail and taking names all over Canada (and now Ohio). We watched oil men and other blue collar workers worship at the altar of Tim. They’ve set themselves up as the blue collar Ruth’s Chris, and they are geniuses. They know who they’re trying to reach, and they are ruthless about it.

If I’m one of the marketing guys responsible for Tim Horton’s, I’m setting my sights on all of North America. You heard it here first: remember when you see the red and white signs pop up in your town. And the town down the road. And the next. The Church has a thing or two to learn from Tim Horton’s.